Darkening Horizon
by fizban hat
Summary: Pre-OotP Follow Lily, James and the gang through their adventures at Hogwarts. At first the wizarding world is a fun safe place, but as the Dark Lord rises, the horizon darkens and danger lurks everywhere, even at Hogwarts. RR please?
1. Owl Post

.-~"‾‾'~:Darkening Horizon:~'‾‾"~-.

By Fizban Hat

.-~"‾‾"~-. '`֊:֊'` .-~"‾‾"~-.

_Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the associated characters or places; they are the property of the Ms. Rowling. I am merely borrowing them for my own amusement. Neither do I own the name Kalten; it belongs to Mr. Eddings I am just borrowing because I love the name. Any characters or things you don't recognise belong to me. _

_Just a few notes: I haven't yet read Harry Potter and the Order of the __Phoenix__, so none of the information contained in it will be part of my story. My apologies if that inconveniences you. Also please keep in mind that I am not quite eighteen so if I make a reference to something that happened out of the timeline, please overlook it. The title denotes the changing climate of the times they grew up in. I would postulate that the beginning of their Hogwarts were fairly free of danger, yet steadily grew more dark. One last note, if the characters seem a bit out of character, please forgive me for it, I am after all working with someone else's characters and that can be awkward._

.-~"‾‾'~:Chapter One: Owl Post:~'‾‾"~-.

.-~"‾‾"~-. '`֊֊:֊'` .-~"‾‾"~-.

School was boring. Especially on such a fine day as it was. Outside the sky was clear of any cloud for miles and the sun was shining benignly down, the temperature was just right for a game of pick-up football. Inside the classroom the temperature was stifling and the one pathetically sputtering fan did little to ease the dead heat. Most of her classmates drowsed, waiting for the final bell to ring, signalling the end of school for another summer, while the teacher droned on and on about the importance of middle school. Lily Evans had stopped listening hours ago, and instead sat looking wistfully out the window.

Lily sunk back in her chair, shoving a few stray strands of flaming hair away from her face. She glanced idly about the classroom; the others all seemed as bored as she was. Lily half-closed her emerald eyes as the afternoon slogged on. Beside her Zan, one of her best friends yawned loudly, while her twin sister Celeste drummed her fingers impatiently on the desk. Would this day never end?

After what seemed an eternity, to the just turned eleven year old, the final bell rang. Their class got noisily to their feet once the teacher had dismissed them and filed out of the classroom, more or less. School was finally out for the summer. Lily and Zan got their bags while Celeste bossily urged them to hurry. Once they were in the hall they made their way through the crowds towards the exit. They slipped easily through the crowds, all of them being small for their age. Once outside they simultaneously took a deep breathe of fresh air. Of summer's promise.

"Say, do you want to go to the swimming hole?" Zan asked.

The swimming hole was more in the size of a small lake and was nestled in a clearing in the nearby forest. Although a lot of kids from their fair sized town played in the woods, the three of them were fairly certain that none had found the small lake. It was their favourite place to play, and except in winter they always went there after school. The lake was slightly larger than a pond, but unlike ponds it didn't have a mucky filmy bottom, instead it was a clear lake with a rock and sand bottom. They swam in it most of the time. None of them having the patience to fish. Sometimes they skipped rocks, but most of the time they used it as their sort of mythical place to have grand adventures in. Something Lily's older sister Petunia teased them mercilessly about. Petunia never had been one for make believe.

"When's your mum getting back?" Lily asked.

"Tomorrow afternoon." Celeste answered examining the dirt. "But you know our mum."

The three played about the lake just enjoying the first evening of summer break. The lake was refreshingly cool after the stifling heat of the classroom. The forest wasn't a dark or forbidding one, but rather one with an ancient feeling and trees spaced far enough apart for light to filter through the tops, dappling the ground and adding to the fairy tale feel of the place. Soon though the sun started to sink towards the horizon and suppertime drew near. The girls headed back towards town and Lily's house.

Lily lived in a quiet neighbourhood near the edge of town; it was a rather classy neighbourhood where everyone had expensive houses, wives and cars. Her house was large but modest with a neat yard and a Mercedes in the drive. The house and everything in it had an understated elegance about it, in contrast to the disgusting opulence around it. Lily's father was a lawyer and her mother was a professor of history at the nearby university. As the three young girls drew near the driveway they cold hear the raucous laughter of Lily's thirteen year old sister Petunia, coming from the back patio. 

"I heard a dying donkey once," Zan said, "and Petunia's laugh sounds just like it."

Lily giggled, as her friends pushed their brown gold curls away from their eyes. It was a twin moment. Zan and Celeste's mother ran the local vet clinic, so Lily was fairly certain that they did indeed know what a dying donkey sounded like.

"Oh, there you are girls. Off swimming, I see." Warrick Evans said as he came out of the house. "Your mother just sent me off to look for you. Come in and wash up, dinner will be ready in a few minutes. I don't know about you but I'm starved for some spaghetti."

After dinner Lily, Zan and Celeste went outside to catch fireflies rather than listen to the older girls giggle while they watched television and gossiped. While the girls sat in the rather large oak tree in the backyard, they could periodically hear Petunia and her giggle or shriek about whatever it was girls like them talked about. Lily sighed as they were called in, she really didn't want to go to Petunia's school next year, if that was how everyone acted there. As she closed the back door a star shot across the sky overhead. 

.-~"‾‾"~-. '`֊:֊'` .-~"‾‾"~-.

"Lily, Celeste, Zan breakfast." Rose Evans called to the girls, who were in the yard playing with Isis, the family's golden retriever. The girls rushed laughing to the back door, Isis nipping playfully at their feet. "Don't track dirt into the house." Mrs. Evans shouted as she set the breakfast table. She could hear some guilty giggling as the girls removed their trainers.

"Yum, pancakes and sausages." Zan said as she hopped into her chair and tucking into the plate Mrs. Evans set before her.

"Is that all you ever think about Zan? Food." Lily asked as she and Celeste started on breakfast with a bit more decorum. 

Zan shrugged. "Only when I'm hungry."

"Which is all the time." Celeste pointed out teasingly.

Petunia and her friends came into the kitchen and sat down at the table looking half awake. Juliet and Marge, Petunia's friends, were giggling and whispering about Vernon Dursley. Vernon Durlsey was the star rugby player at their school. Who just happened to be Marge's brother.

"Petunia has a crush on Vernon." Juliet giggled when Celeste raised her eyebrow at them.

Celeste looked at Petunia, who wasn't unattractive but neither was she striking. Her blonde hair wasn't thick, nor was it thin, it was just limp and dulled by hair styling chemicals. Petunia's neck was overlong, but she was proportioned so that it wasn't abhorrent. And Petunia's eyes could only be politely described as the colour of dishwater. Celeste shook her head not understanding a thing, as Juliet continued to giggle about Petunia's crush.

"I heard Vernon Dursley was just a big bully who sticks people's head in the school toilets for their lunch money." Lily announced.

"He does not." Marge said offended.

"Yes, he does." Zan declared hotly. "Jordan's brother wouldn't lie about having his head stuffed in a toilet."

"Girls, girls please." Mr. Evans said mildly, looking up from his paper, "That's enough."

Petunia got abruptly up from the table, her chair skidding out behind her. "We are going to the morning show." Petunia said tightly.

Then Petunia stormed from the room, Marge following close behind her. Juliet smiled at the younger girls before shrugging a shoulder and heading after the other two. They ate breakfast in relative silence. The silence was broken when an owl flew in the open window. It dropped three letters onto the table, and then perched on the back of an empty chair. 

"Hey! There's a letter in my porridge!" Zan shouted, grabbing the letter out of her bowl of porridge. (Which she got after she finished her pancakes and sausages.) "This letter is funny looking, just like you Celeste."

Mrs. Evans shrieked once she processed what had just happened. She immediately grabbed Celeste away from the owl, which she was trying to coax into eating a sausage. Warrick Evans looked up from his newspaper for a moment, and then continued to read the business section. Lily had opened her letter, while all this was going on.

_HOGWARTS__SCHOOL__ OF WITCHCRAFT AND WIZARDRY_

_Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore_

_(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock,_

_Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)_

_                        Dear Ms Evans,_

_We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at __Hogwarts__School__ of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment._

_Term begins on 1 September. We await your owl by no later than 31 July._

_Yours sincerely,_

_Minerva McGonagall_

_Deputy Headmistress/i_

"Oh mum, can I go?" Lily asked excitedly.

"Now Lily just be still a moment, dear. Zanarah, Celeste do your letters say the same thing as Lily's?" Mrs. Evans asked, pointedly ignoring the owl and incredulousness of the situation.

"Nope, mine says 'Dear Ms Cailleach', so does Celeste's." Zan prattled excitedly.

Rose Evans sighed. "Yes, dear but the rest of it is the same?" Zan nodded. "Good, now why don't you three run along and play while I discuss this with Mr. Evans."

Lily looked closely at her mum before deciding that now was not the best time to press the issue. "Okay mum, we're going to the swimming hole. We'll be back at dinner.

.-~"‾‾"~-. '`֊֊:֊'` .-~"‾‾"~-.

"So do you think your mum will let you go?" Zan asked Lily. Lily shrugged and went back to staring at the lake.

"We don't even know if 'Hogwarts' exists." Celeste pointed out.

"What do you mean doesn't exist? Of course it exists. Why would we get a letter from a place that doesn't exist?" Zan asked hotly.

"I hope we can go. If it exists I mean. I hope it exists. It'd be like all of our make believe games come true." Lily said softly.

The three stared out at the lake in silence; each thinking about how much fun this Hogwarts place would be if it was for real. Real magic, was certainly more spectacular than make believe.

    .-~"‾‾"~-. '`֊:֊'` .-~"‾‾"~-.

Jean Cailleach knocked on the front door and then let herself in. She went to the kitchen hearing Rose call her towards there. She walked into the room to see an owl sitting on the back of a chair. In all her days as a vet, she had never seen an owl that wasn't hurt during the day for any length of time. Jean also noticed that her good friends Warrick and Rose were deep in discussion about something, there appeared to be several pieces of what looked to be parchment on the table as well.

"It's been there all morning." Warrick said pointing to the owl. "It likes sausages though."

"It was the strangest thing. It just flew in the window this morning, and dropped these into the girls' breakfast." Rose said, holding up one of the letters.

Jean took the letter from Rose and read it over silently. It seemed oddly familiar. She frowned trying to remember why. "Have you ever seen anything like it?" Warrick asked. Jean turned the parchment over for a few more minutes before replying. "Yes, I think I have. One of my nephews got a letter like this and went off to the school. Excuse me a moment and I'll call my sister and ask her about it."

Jean was a good ten minutes on the phone before she returned. "Well, my sister said the school is legitimate. My oldest nephew Danny goes there, he's entering his final year. I was speaking to him and he says, that we should send the children there, and also explained that that was why they've done some strange things. Danny's going to come and pick them up next Wednesday and take them to a place called Diagon Alley and get them what they need. Oh and Danny told me we had to write a letter saying that the children can attend before this owl will leave."

"He does look pretty official doesn't he?" Warrick observed. The owl apparently understood as it began to preen. 

The Evans had just sent the owl off with two acceptance letters, when the front door slammed open and Lily came careening into the room. Zan and Celeste following close behind. "Can I go? Can I? Can I? Please?" Lily said breathlessly.

"Yes, Lily, dear, you're going to go to Hogwarts." Rose said, smiling proudly at her daughter. Lily squealed excitedly and hugged Celeste.

"Are we going too, mum?" Celeste asked Jean who was drinking a cup of tea.

"Yes, you and your sister are going too." Jean said grinning at the delighted young children. "Your cousin Daniel will take you were you need to go to get these supplies." She said holding up one of the supply lists. "He'll pick you up next Wednesday."

"We're going to Hogwarts!" Lily shouted.

.-~"‾‾"~-. '`֊:֊'` .-~"‾‾"~-.

Mrs. Lupin looked up from the morning dishes and sighed as she watched Jania Kalten walk across the back of the field carrying a fishing pole in one hand and a burlap sack in the other. And as happened every Saturday without fail her son, Remus, tore across the field and tackled Jania. The two children scuffled for a few minutes before getting back to their feet. This time Remus had come off with a bloody nose and Jania a bloody lip. Mrs. Lupin grimaced as they both wiped the blood away with their sleeves. Mrs. Lupin looked up from the dishes a few moments later to see Jania offering Remus half of what she knew to be a peanut butter and banana sandwich. As the two children walked towards the river, Mrs. Lupin went back to washing up the dishes. 

"Did you get your Hogwarts letter?" Jania asked around a full mouth. 

"Yep." Remus said, his eyes lighting up, "Did you get yours Kalten?"

Jania nodded, "Yeah, and my Da told me that that Pettigrew boy got his letter too, even though he's more 'an half squib."

"He got his letter then, eh? My mum wondered if he would." Remus said.

The two walked the rest of the way to the river in silence, munching on their half a sandwich. Once they reached the sluggish blue river, Jania sat down on the bank and threw her line into the water, while Remus found some smooth rocks perfect for skipping across the surface.

"Think I'll catch something today?" Jania asked.

Remus shrugged and began to skip rocks. "Hey Kalten, what house do you want to be in?"

"Gryffindor. My Da and all his relatives were in Ravenclaw though. 'Cept my cousin Geoff, he's a Hufflepuff. What 'bout you, Remus?"

"Gryffindor, same as you. What'dya suppose they do to sort you?"

"Well my cousin Derrick, he's head boy this year, said you had to do a spell first try. But you know Derrick, he likes to tell tales."

"Rom said you have to make a potion right off, and the colour the potion turns sorts you."

"Your brother Romulus tells tales like Derrick does." Jania snorted.

"When you going to Diagon Alley?"

"'Prolly next Wednesday, you?"

"Wednesday too, our mums will want to go together."

"Yeah with my mum being a muggle and all."

The afternoon passed rather quickly, although in a lazy fashion. Remus and Jania stayed at the river, munching on some wild apples while fishing. Soon the sun began to set and they rather reluctantly left the river and headed back into their small village. The two walked rather leisurely back towards Remus', neither was in any hurry to go home for dinner. 

"See ya tomorrow Kalten?" Remus asked.

Jania nodded. "'Course I still haven't caught a fish. And don't call me Kalten, my name's Jania!"

.-~"‾‾"~-. '`֊:֊'` .-~"‾‾"~-.

"James, get up!" Sirius shouted, jumping on James bed and rather rudely awakening his best friend since birth practically. James fell with a thump to the floor, as Sirius's enthusiastic jumping had bounced him off his bed. James jumped to his feet suddenly. "Did our letter arrive!?" He exclaimed.

Sirius looked blankly at James. "No… it's breakfast!"

James rubbed his eyes as he followed the overly energetic Sirius down to the breakfast table. Morning was not his favourite time of day. By the time he reached the kitchen Sirius had already dug into the food laid out, and had somehow in the span of ten seconds managed to get ketchup smeared onto his forehead. James filled his plate and dug in while Sirius continued to eat like a horse, oblivious to the ketchup. Just as they were finishing up an owl swooped in and deposited a letter into each of the boys laps, before wing sharply to the right and flying off just as fast at it came. 

"Mum we got our letters!" James yelled excitedly.

"Yes, dear, that's nice." Mrs. Potter said as she walked in wearing an emerald robe and sipping a steaming cup of coffee.

"Well come on, accept it! Accept it! I'll go get Duke." James said before running off to get his parents owl Duke.

"Marie, how nice to see you. Sirius just got his letter." Mrs. Potter said, looking up from her tea to smile at Mrs. Black.

"I brought Hades along, knowing that would probably be the case. Fetch me some parchment Sirius, so I can write your acceptance letter." Mrs. Black said pleasantly.

"But, Mum, I'm eating." Sirius complained, biting into another forkful of scrambled eggs.

"Do you, or do you not want to go to Hogwarts?" Mrs. Black asked pointedly. Sirius was out of the room before she even finished her sentence. 

Five minutes later, both boys returned. Sirius with parchment and ink and James with Duke and a couple of quills. Mrs. Black despaired to ever know how her son had managed to stain his hands with red ink in the five minutes he had been gone. The two women wrote out short acceptance letters, while Sirius and James fidgeted excitedly behind them. Once their acceptance letters were safely attached to the owls and headed towards Hogwarts. Sirius and James began to chatter a mile a minute at the same time.

"Mum, if we go now we can get to Diagon Alley as the stores open." James shouted.

"And we can get some more dungbombs!" Sirius chimed, jumping up and down excitedly.

Marie and Lydia exchanged glances. "Boys, we can't we have to work. We might be able to take you on Wednesday." Lydia Potter said softly.

James and Sirius looked downcast for a moment or two before smiling sadly at their mothers, and running off. Soon enough the two women heard James and Sirius playing with their brooms in the backyard. The two women exchanged a glance and small shrug before apparating to the Ministry of Magic, to meet up with their husbands who had left an hour or so earlier. 

"So how long do you think it'll take Wednesday to get here?" Sirius asked flying in circles around James.

"Four days." James said looking at his friend strangely. "It is Saturday."

Sirius threw his hands in the air and promptly lost his balance, he flailed his arms about wildly trying to keep himself from falling off, he managed to regain his balance. "I meant how long do you think it will take for the time to pass."

James shrugged, "Not to long, I hope."

   .-~"‾‾"~-. '`֊:֊'` .-~"‾‾"~-.

.-~"‾‾'~:END OF CHAPTER ONE:~'‾‾"~-.


	2. Diagon Alley

.-~"‾‾'~:Darkening Horizons:~'‾‾"~-.

By Fizban Hat

.-~"‾‾"~-. '`֊:֊'` .-~"‾‾"~-.

_Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any associated characters or places. I am merely borrowing them for my own amusement. I do not own the names Kalten or Bevier, I am merely borrowing them because I love them._

.-~"‾‾'~:Chapter Two: Diagon Alley:~'‾‾"~-.

.-~"‾‾"~-. '`֊:֊'` .-~"‾‾"~-.

For Lily Wednesday could not have taken any longer to get here. She knew that Celeste was at least as impatient as she was. Zan on the other hand however, seemed just to go with the flow of things. Zan knew that Wednesday would get here when it would and she had much better things to do with her time than wait impatiently for it to get here. The days seemed to pass by at an agonisingly slow pace. But Wednesday did get there… eventually. 

"It's Wednesday!" Lily shouted running down to the kitchen at top speed. 

"And what is so special about Wednesday?" Petunia asked half sarcastically/ half curiously.

"What?" Petunia asked incredulously.

"Petunia dear, Lily's going to Hogwarts. So she can be a witch. Remember I told you." Rose Evans said, smiling proudly at Lily.

"What?! You never said anything about Lily being a _freak._" Petunia shrieked. "A witch? Excuse me." She finished tightly. Petunia left the room with that, avoiding Lily like the plague. A few moments later they heard her bedroom door slam shut.

"Oh I must have mentioned it to her." Rose said thoughtfully, "Don't worry dear, she'll come around." She told Lily soothingly. 

Lily nodded and smiled for her mother but she doubted Petunia would come around. She hated anything unnatural. Even lucky four leafed clovers. Petunia desperately wanted to fit in and be liked. Lily's 'unnaturalness' wouldn't help with that. Lily ate her breakfast in silence.

"Lily get your butt out here!" Zan shouted letting herself in. Lily was halfway out of the kitchen when her father stopped her.

"Wait a minute young lady. You're going to need this. It's check for a thousand pounds which should start you off." Her father said, handing her the check. "Don't lose it."

"Thank you!" Lily said, hugging her parents.

A door slammed loudly. "Boy Petunia certainly is cheery this morning. She looked torn between, ripping me to pieces and fainting. Interesting mix." Zan said. "Hurry up, Lily, or Celeste will eat us alive."

"Come on girls." A male voice called from the apparently open doorway.

"Zan did you forget to close the door again?" Warrick Evans asked smiling. Zan coughed.

.-~"‾‾"~-. '`֊:֊'` .-~"‾‾"~-.

Lily, Zan and Celeste spend the drive to London questioning Danny about Hogwarts and the magical world. After what seemed only a few minutes, they arrived in London. Danny wasted no time driving towards the Leaky Cauldron. The girls were fascinated by the fact that no one but them appeared to see the old fashioned pub. Danny explained to them that muggles couldn't see it.

"What is a muggle?" Zan demanded, after hearing the word for the umpteenth time and still not knowing what it was.

"A non-magical person, Zan." Danny explained. "All right girls, come on. Let's get going lot's to do."

Lily, Zan and Celeste followed Danny across the street and into the Leaky Cauldron. The inside of the building had a dark place with a lot of _'interesting' characters. They were halfway across the Leaky Cauldron when a good-looking guy Danny's age stopped them. "Danny boy, I wondering when you'd show up." He said. "Who are they?"_

"Hey Rom, this is my cousins and their friend, I gotta help them get their stuff. Where's Derrick?" Danny asked.

"Watching Jania and Remus, while 'the mums' all get together for a chat." Romulus said grinning. "I escaped, saying someone needed to wait for you."

"Poor Derrick, his cousin is a handful." Danny laughed. "For her father being who he is, she sure ain't diplomatic."

"You can say that again." Rom said. "You taking them to Grignotts first?" Danny nodded. "After that let's head to Madam Malkins, Derrick's trying to get Remus and Jania there as it is. So by the time we finish up at Grignotts, they should be there."

Lily and the twins followed Danny and Rom out into the alley behind the Leaky Cauldron. Lily looked about for the entrance into Diagon Alley, she didn't see one.

"Hey! You said you were taking us to Diagonal Alleyway!" Zan said.

"It's Diagon Alley, and hold up a minute will you." Danny said. 

Lily watched as Rom tapped a brick and the whole wall started to move. Then suddenly Diagon Alley was in front of them. Lily gasped as she looked about, there were witches and wizards everywhere. She looked in awe at the all shops and interesting items she could make out.

"Well don't just stand there, come on." Danny said.

"Oh shut up Danny." Zan muttered as they followed the two older boys into the alley. "Where's this gringo place?"

"It's Grignotts, Zan. Grignotts. You better watch your pronunciation or you'll spend most of your time in the Hospital Wing. It's at the end of the alley, and stay close. I don't want to explain to your mums how I lost you."

.-~"‾‾"~-. '`֊:֊'` .-~"‾‾"~-.

"Well, well, what have we got here?" 

Jania looked up to see a boy about her age, with dark hair and blue eyes, he was grinning. Beside him was another boy with dark hair and dark eyes and glasses. Jania frowned. "Trouble." She muttered getting to her feet. 

"Kalten, we have to go Madam Malkins, or else!" Remus said coming up. He looked from Jania to the two boys. "Uh…"

"Sirius Black." The grinning boy said, holding out his hand. "And that's James Potter."

Remus eyed his hand suspiciously. "Remus Lupin, and that's Kalten."

Kalten who was scuffing her toe on the ground, looked up suddenly. "My name is Jania Kalten, not just Kalten."

"Whatever you say, Kalten." James said and pounded her back. 

"Oomph." Jania gasped. "Let's get to Madam Malkins then."

"Great we'll come along. Our mums are waiting for us there anyway." Sirius announced cheerfully. Jania groaned.

.-~"‾‾"~-. '`֊:֊'` .-~"‾‾"~-.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't the Head Boy Derrick Kalten." Danny said grinning as he ushered Lily, Zan and Celeste into Madam Malkins. They had finally got done setting up accounts for the girls at Gringotts. 

"Danny-boy Brash! How was your summer? Your mum told me you were working with Hipogriffs." A tall boy with dark good looks and an infectious grin answered.

"Now who needs robes?" Madam Malkin asked in her grandmotherly tone, as she bustled into the room. "My, my, you three have grown over the summer."

"These three are the ones that need robes." Danny laughed.

"Well up on the stools you go." Madam Malkin ordered. The three girls climbed onto the stools, listening to Madam Malkin talk as she measured them.

"And where's little Jania, Derrick? And Remus?" She asked. 

"Remus went to find her; she wandered off while I wasn't looking." Derrick said, looking a bit embarrassed.

Madam Malkin clicked her tongue. "Never listens to anyone that one does. I bet she'd get along great with -"

"Our sons." Marie and Lydia said as they walked into the store. Madam Malkin nodded, while she continued to measure the girls and fit their robes. "Derrick your aunt said you're stuck with Jania for the rest of the day. Something came up and she had to leave. And Romulus, your mother is helping Mrs. Pettigrew with her son, so you're to look after Remus. Where are James and Sirius? We told them to be here fifteen minutes ago."

.-~"‾‾"~-. '`֊:֊'` .-~"‾‾"~-.

James ran through the door of Madam Malkins first, followed closely by Jania, Sirius and Remus. All four of them were laughing their heads off, while casting glances over there shoulder into the alley. The four were brought up short by Jania's cousin.

"And where have you four been?" Derrick asked in his 'Head Boy' voice. The four started guiltily. Derrick looked past them at the street, and saw two boys covered in the after effects of a dungbomb. "And I was hoping you would have learned to behave."

"Done." Madam Malkin told the three girls, and the gratefully got off the stools. "You four, up on a stool." 

The four reluctantly got up on the stools and stood as still as they were capable of while they were fitted. "And where are your shoes Jania?" Madam Malkin asked. Jania shrugged.

"She won't wear them," Derrick explained, "no matter how many times you put them on her; she takes them off and loses them."

"Tsk." Madam Malkin clucked. "The floors at Hogwarts are cold."

Lily looked at Jania, who was the first girl they had seen their age, so far. She had dark blackish hair, and brown eyes that looked red instead. Her hair was pulled back into a braid, and she appeared not to care for socks or shoes.

"Hello, I'm Lily Evans, and this is Zan and Celeste Cailleach." Lily said introducing herself. The girl on the stool opened her mouth.

"That's Kalten." The three boys said before she could get a word out. Jania growled.

"I'm Sirius Black and that's James Potter, and Remus Lupin." Sirius said grinning, as he pointed to the other two boys in turn.

"Nice to meet you." Lily said.

"She won't think it's so nice once she gets to know them." Marie muttered quietly to Lydia. 

"Alright, you're all done." Madam Malkin announced, "Give me a minute to wrap these up and you'll be on your way."

The adults paid for the robes and the group left the store. "Derrick, do you mind taking Sirius and James with you?" Mrs. Potter asked.

"No, I don't mind. I've got Danny and Rom to help me watch them. Hopefully Diagon Alley will still be in one piece at the end of the day." Derrick said, as the two women handed him money for the rest of James and Sirius' supplies. 

"Alright, let's get your books next, then potions supplies." Derrick ordered herding them into the bookstore. Once they entered Flourish and Blotts the kids ran off. "Why do I always get stuck babysitting" Derrick groaned. 

"Why'd you have to rope us into it?" Rom asked. "I planned on 'bumping into' Sally Graham."

"Misery loves company." Derrick said as a bang was heard in the back of the bookstore. "We'd better get them before anything too bad happens."

When the three got to back of the bookstore, James was blinking, as the others laughed at his singed eyebrows. Derrick, Danny and Rom laughed too when they saw James. "I want this book Derrick." Jania said shoving two books at him.

"Fine. Fine. But only if you eight go and get your school books with no more shenanigans." Derrick said.

As the kids went to get their school books, Zan tripped. Zan blinked to clear her head; she couldn't see what she tripped on. "You must have tripped on The Invisible Book of Invisibility." James said.

"Nice save." Danny muttered to Rom as Derrick accepted that answer, apparently he hadn't noticed Sirius' foot shoot out and trip Zan.

.-~"‾‾"~-. '`֊:֊'` .-~"‾‾"~-.

The eight first years sat around a table eating ice cream at Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour. Sally Graham and her two friends were talking to Rom, Derrick and Danny. They had finished getting all their supplies with no incidents that could be blamed squarely on them. James had even convinced Derrick to take them to Gambol and Japes as well as the Quidditch shop. Derrick had decided that after being in Ollivanders for two hours, getting wands, they all needed a break.

"Does your older brother always use you to pick up girls?" Lily asked Jania.

"Derrick's my cousin. Rom is Remus' brother. No, they don't usually pay any attention to us, unless it's to get us to fetch something for them." Jania said.

"It's so good of you to look after your little cousins like this." Sally said, putting a hand on Rom's arm.

"Heh heh, you know us, we always like to help." Rom grinned. Remus made gagging noises. After fifteen more minutes of that, Jania threw a spoonful of her ice cream at Derrick, it hit Billy Waters instead, a very nice seventh year Hufflepuff and good friend of Sally's. Sirius smacked her shoulder. "Good one, Kalten."

"My shirt!" Billy screeched. Derrick muttered a charm that removed the ice cream before turning around.

"Jania, why did you do that?" He demanded in an unnaturally reasonable voice. 

Jania looked around the table quickly before meeting her cousin's eye. "James wanted to try to my ice cream, so I shot a spoonful at him, I missed him and it hit your girlfriend."

James who happened to be sitting beside Derrick nodded at this explanation. "Okay, but I would like you apologise to Billy, now. Or no Gambol and Japes."

"Err… Sorry Billy." Jania said.

"Apology accepted." Billy said before turning back to Derrick. "We have to go anyway; we've got a train to catch. See on the Hogwarts Express."

"Sit with us?" Danny called after them. The girls giggled, turned and nodded before heading towards the Leaky Cauldron.

"Okay, let's go to Gambol and Japes, we have a few more things to do before we leave." Derrick said, paying for the ice cream. "Jania, did it ever occur to you to pass the ice cream?"

"No."

After half an hour, Derrick dragged them out of Gambol and Japes, yelling at them for spending so much on junk. Derrick, along with Danny and Rom was a Ravenclaw. Derrick reluctantly let them look at the brooms and items in the Quidditch shop for fifteen minutes, reminding them they couldn't have a broom in their first year anyway, before taking them to Magical Menagerie.

"Now, whoever wants a pet, go and get one. If not just stay here with us." Derrick said. The children all left to find a pet. Derrick turned to his friends. "What house do you suppose they'll get."

"I'm betting Gryffindor will get the lot of them." Danny said. "I don't think they have the sense to be afraid of anything."

"Gryffindor will probably get the lot of them. Last year it was Hufflepuff who got the most and the year before Ravenclaw, and before that Slytherin, so I wouldn't be surprised." Rom pointed out.

"Uncle Michael won't be too awful happy if Jania gets sorted into Gryffindor; she'll be the first one in two centuries to get a house besides Ravenclaw." Derrick said. "But I think it'd be better for them all to get in one house. That way, only one Head of House will have a headache."

The three laughed as the kids brought back their pets. Everyone had an owl of some kind except for Remus and Celeste who both had cats. Remus had a small long-haired grey kitten, and Celeste had a huge fluffy tan and brown ragdoll cat. They paid for the animals and left the shop. Lily was jumping about excitedly, making her owl howl in protest.

"There you are. Time to go." Lydia Potter said as she saw the group. With her were Mrs. Lupin and Mrs. Black.

"Bye guys, see you on the train." James and Sirius shouted as they followed their mothers to the floo conduit. 

"I'll take Jania home for you Derrick." Mrs. Lupin said, "Romulus you get home at a reasonable hour."

"Thanks, Mrs. Lupin." Derrick called to Mrs. Lupin as she herded Remus and Jania towards a floo conduit.

"I better take these three home too." Danny said. "I'll be back. Meet at the Leaky Cauldron?" Derrick and Romulus nodded at Danny before he led Lily, Zan and Celeste, out of Diagon Alley. 

.-~"‾‾"~-. '`֊:֊'` .-~"‾‾"~-.

The month and a half later, Lily, Zan and Celeste were at the swimming hole, looking through their schoolbooks. They also brought their pets with them. They were reading _'A History of Magic by Bathilda Bagshot' and fiddling with their wands. Suddenly Zan looked up as a golden Hawk Owl, swooped down on them and waited patiently for them to untie a parchment letter from his leg._

_Girls,_

_10:30__- Station. Meet._

_I'll meet you at the King's Cross Station tomorrow and show you how to get in. Remus and I will be there at __10:30__._

_                                                                                                                                                            Kalten_

_P.S. - This is Tynian. Send your letter back with him._

_P.P.S. – I made her rewrite it. – Remus_

"She doesn't waste words, does she?" Zan observed.

"Apparently not." Lily said, while grabbing a parchment from the pile they were using to write notes on.

_Dear Jania and Remus,_

_            We'll be there for __10:30__ to meet you. I like your owl's name._

_                                                                        Lily, Zan and Celeste_

Lily tied the parchment to Tynian's foot and off he went. Zan watched him fly out of range before turning to Lily and Celeste. "What should we name our pets? We haven't named them yet."

After a moment's thought, Lily announced that she would name her Tawny Owl, Thor. Celeste said that her cat's name would be Taurus. "What are you naming your owl, Zan?" Lily asked.

Zan thought about it for a few minutes, while she considered her Great Horned Owl, "I think I'll name him Excalibur." 

They spent the rest of the afternoon studying, and at Lily's insistence taking notes. Before they left to go home, they promised to meet up in the morning before their parents' drove them to King's Cross station. Lily lay awake that night, too excited to sleep, thinking about what Hogwarts would be like. Just before dawn she drifted off. 

"Lily! Wake up! It's time to get ready, dear." Rose Evans called to her youngest daughter. Petunia was already up and announced that she was going over Marge's, as she wanted nothing to do with Lily and her 'unnaturalness'.

"Coming mum!" Lily shouted as she hurriedly got dressed and dashed about her room, packing a few knick knacks that she wanted to take with her. After double-checking that she had everything in her trunk she needed, she rushed downstairs lugging it behind her. She ran into the kitchen and came to a sudden stop in front of her mother. "Hurry, let's go!" Lily said.

"Eat your breakfast first, dear." Rose said, pointing to the kitchen table. Lily sat down beside Zan and Celeste who had arrived a few minutes ago. She ate her breakfast while her mother talked to the twins mum, Jean. The telephone rang, unexpectedly. Warrick Evans answered it. "It's for you Jean." He said after a moment. Jean went and talked for a few moments on the telephone, before placing it back in its cradle.

"Rose, could you and Warrick take Zan and Celeste to the station with you? The Roger's mare has started to foal early and it looks like it's going to be a difficult birth." Jean asked. 

"Of course we can." Rose said.

"Thanks, now you two girls behave yourselves. I'm so sorry I can't see you off, but I promise I'll pick you up for winter break." Jean said grabbing her car keys and rushing out.

"Well girls, finish up your juice, wash up and we'll be on our way." Mr. Evans said. 

.-~"‾‾"~-. '`֊:֊'` .-~"‾‾"~-.

They arrived at the station an hour and half later, Lily, and the twins put their trunks onto trolleys and followed Lily's father two the area between platforms nine and ten. The girls looked around for Jania, Remus or even Sirius and James.

"Excuse me, young lady, you have to wear shoes in this building." A man said officiously. Lily turned to see Jania, walking with Remus and their trunks towards her.

.-~"‾‾"~-. '`֊:֊'` .-~"‾‾"~-.

.-~"‾‾'~:END OF CHAPTER TWO:~'‾‾"~-.

_Post Script:: Quis- And read more of it you shall. ;), aijah- Thanks for reviewing my story, I hope you read this chapter too._


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